Sometimes when I'm reading a thread asking for ski recommendations, I think, "Boy, this person must feel like he or she is being interrogated." But there is a good reason for this: you shouldn't care what I know until you know that I care. When people recommend skis based on their own likes, dislikes, or even experience with popular skis at a shop or demo center, but don't seem to care about you (aka the skier), you risk being unhappy with the ski they recommend. Don't get me wrong, the popular ski may suit your needs, and it is likely a phenomenal ski -- but what if it doesn't meet your needs?

I was reading another site recently where a skier was advised to buy a certain ski and ended up hating it. Buying new skis is exciting and you can't wait to get on snow with them, but it is a major disappointment when you find that they are nothing like you had hoped. This skier was asking what could possibly be wrong, and she received some good advice based on questions from other people. One problem was that this ski comes with a factory tune set for park skiers, but even more than that, it just wasn't the right ski for the kind of skiing she likes to do.

Another example: a guy walked into the shop with a pair of Nordica Enforcers the first year they were on the market; they had been a big hit in SkiMagazine's gear guide. He was unhappy with them and wondered if there was something wrong with the mount. I asked him a few questions about his skiing style and quickly assessed that he had bought a great ski that wasn't a great ski for him. As it turns out, the last time he bought skis, he chose SkiMag's Ski of the Year, the Atomic Metron B5. You all remember those (especially you from Epic days)? This guy loves to turn, and the Metron was his absolute dream ski. He was hard pressed to give it up, but it finally gave out, so he turned to the same resource for advice on buying a new pair. The only problem was, this time around, the Ski of the Year wasn't the right one for him. Don't get me wrong, the Nordica Enforcer is a wonderful ski, but not for a guy who loved his Metron and wants to find another ski that loves to turn as much as he does.

What it boils down to is this: whenever you are looking for advice on ski gear, whether the source is the print publication next to your throne, your favorite online ski community, or the local shop employee, if that source doesn't have the ability or creativity to ask you the following seven questions, you are placing a bet that you may not win.

What resort do you ski most?

What runs do you like most?

Do you ski off piste or stick to groomers?

Do you seek out or avoid moguls -- or do you dabble and want to get better?

What is your height and weight?

What skis are you currently skiing and what do you like most (and what do you not like) about them?

What boots are you in?

Questions you need to ask yourself, or the person giving you advice:

What kind of skiing does this person enjoy?

Is this person validating his or her own opinion?

Has this person taken the time to understand what I need in a ski?

Point your skis where you want to go.
If that doesn't work, go where they're pointed.
Bob Barnes
​

I worked in the retail side of the business for a long time and while I never wrote them down I always started with the questions you asked. I always began the conversation with tell me about where you ski, what runs and what type of terrain. When face to face with someone you could get a general sense of height and weight.

These are great tips for people looking for advice on skis online. Without this information you can't make any type of recommendation.

The short version of this: "crap in, crap out". A thread started by "hey guys, what up, i need a new ski, what do you all think of the gigantor 230 TI" will probably go nowhere

The best threads with requests for help are those that have a high quality original post. Proper context allows those trying to help save a ton of time and focus on what is really needed at hand. It also minimizes the chances of the thread going off rails.

My other suggestion is to be smart in how you process the info you get. Prioritize those recommendations given by people who are more likely to be accurate. Or knowledgeable. In a public forum like this one you have everything from enthusiasts with little experience as myself, to creme of the crop professionals (racers, boot-fitters, coaches, instructors). I appreciate everyone's input, but I weight different opinions differently.

Sometimes when I'm reading a thread asking for ski recommendations, I think, "Boy, this person must feel like he or she is being interrogated." But there is a good reason for this: you shouldn't care what I know until you know that I care. When people recommend skis based on their own likes, dislikes, or even experience with popular skis at a shop or demo center, but don't seem to care about you (aka the skier), you risk being unhappy with the ski they recommend. Don't get me wrong, the popular ski may suit your needs, and it is likely a phenomenal ski -- but what if it doesn't meet your needs?

I was reading another site recently where a skier was advised to buy a certain ski and ended up hating it. Buying new skis is exciting and you can't wait to get on snow with them, but it is a major disappointment when you find that they are nothing like you had hoped. This skier was asking what could possibly be wrong, and she received some good advice based on questions from other people. One problem was that this ski comes with a factory tune set for park skiers, but even more than that, it just wasn't the right ski for the kind of skiing she likes to do.

Another example: a guy walked into the shop with a pair of Nordica Enforcers the first year they were on the market; they had been a big hit in SkiMagazine's gear guide. He was unhappy with them and wondered if there was something wrong with the mount. I asked him a few questions about his skiing style and quickly assessed that he had bought a great ski that wasn't a great ski for him. As it turns out, the last time he bought skis, he chose SkiMag's Ski of the Year, the Atomic Metron B5. You all remember those (especially you from Epic days)? This guy loves to turn, and the Metron was his absolute dream ski. He was hard pressed to give it up, but it finally gave out, so he turned to the same resource for advice on buying a new pair. The only problem was, this time around, the Ski of the Year wasn't the right one for him. Don't get me wrong, the Nordica Enforcer is a wonderful ski, but not for a guy who loved his Metron and wants to find another ski that loves to turn as much as he does.

What it boils down to is this: whenever you are looking for advice on ski gear, whether the source is the print publication next to your throne, your favorite online ski community, or the local shop employee, if that source doesn't have the ability or creativity to ask you the following seven questions, you are placing a bet that you may not win.

What resort do you ski most?

What runs do you like most?

Do you ski off piste or stick to groomers?

Do you seek out or avoid moguls -- or do you dabble and want to get better?

What is your height and weight?

What skis are you currently skiing and what do you like most (and what do you not like) about them?

What boots are you in?

Questions you need to ask yourself, or the person giving you advice:

What kind of skiing does this person enjoy?

Is this person validating his or her own opinion?

Has this person taken the time to understand what I need in a ski?

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Great article....and now on that note: Julia wants to buy a new pair of frontside carvers........she did not like the Blizzard Viva but loves her older Nordica Conquers which have a ton of camber. She is 5'5" and about 130lbs. There are not a lot of reviews of women's frontside carving skis that I could find. We do have a local shop demo day coming up. Suggestions are wanted and appreciated.

Great article....and now on that note: Julia wants to buy a new pair of frontside carvers........she did not like the Blizzard Viva but loves her older Nordica Conquers which have a ton of camber. She is 5'5" and about 130lbs. There are not a lot of reviews of women's frontside carving skis that I could find. We do have a local shop demo day coming up. Suggestions are wanted and appreciated.

Click to expand...

I wish I'd known that when you were out here. I have some really good options in our test fleet two of which are ready to find a new home. New year, new gear kinda thing.
If she wants carving specific, I'd say the K2 LuvMachine 72 Ti, but if she wants more of an all mountain carver, the K2 ToughLuv which is more like her Conquer. You can imagine, the LuvMachine 72 Ti is a real ripper.

Point your skis where you want to go.
If that doesn't work, go where they're pointed.
Bob Barnes
​

I wish I'd known that when you were out here. I have some really good options in our test fleet two of which are ready to find a new home. New year, new gear kinda thing.
If she wants carving specific, I'd say the K2 LuvMachine 72 Ti, but if she wants more of an all mountain carver, the K2 ToughLuv which is more like her Conquer. You can imagine, the LuvMachine 72 Ti is a real ripper.